Simple Ham Radio Antennas

How would you like to boost your 20 meter signal by 3 dB with only 84.5 feet/25.76 meters of wire, two supporting masts, some 450-ohm ladder line, ordinary 50-ohm coaxial cable, and a few miscellaneous parts? Today, I ran across a fascinating article by Paul E. Fuller (N8ITF), who designed a simple data sheet to help you build what is called "an extended double zepp antenna."  The double extended zepp is a dipole type of antenna consisting of two collinear 0.64 wavelength elements fed in phase, providing approximately 3 dB gain over a dipole on its intended frequency.  By following Fuller's advice, you can build an antenna that will give you some gain and more DX in the process. Although my backyard is a bit cramped, there are numerous tall Norfolk Pine trees in an adjacent lot which could serve as a temporary support system for the 20 meter extended double zepp antenna. With Fuller's article in mind, plus a few other ideas from several amateur radio operators,

Because my back yard is rather small, I haven't been able to erect a decent 80 meter dipole antenna.  In the past, I've used an inverted vee with elements measuring 67 feet/20.42 meters on a side.  Although the antenna worked reasonably well, it barely fit in back of my house and was clearly visible to my neighbors.  Another approach was needed. I decided to build an inverted "L" antenna, since I had some room to go up (vertical) and some room to go horizontal (flat top segment).  If I used a lightweight wire (#20 or #22 gauge wire) and placed a mast among some trees bordering my lot, I could have a working 80 meter antenna with some degree of stealth. An inverted "L" is a form of bent vertical, with the vertical section running up a mast for 1/8 wavelength (or more, if possible) and a horizontal wire running for 1/8 wavelength from the top of the mast.  Like all verticals, I would need a ground radial system to maximize efficiency and cut losses. Alt

Every now and then I feel the need to get away from the crowded amateur radio bands and just relax with an easy-paced conversation on 30 meters.  The band, which stretches from 10.1 MHz to 10.150 MHz, is quite narrow and is restricted to cw and data transmissions. The pace of communications is generally more relaxed on 30 meters than in any other amateur radio band.  And since I need more practice in cw, this band is perfect for sharpening my skills.  Along the way I also meet some interesting and helpful people. In order to use 30 meters, I have to change rigs.  My old Swan 100 MX, Yaesu FT-7, and Kenwood TS-520 don't cover this band, so I rely on another excellent transceiver--the Ten Tec Argosy II.  This rig can run up to 50 watts output, but I prefer the 5 watt setting for most of my cw work.  I can run the Argosy II off my solar charged deep cycle marine battery all day without depleting the battery. Although I could use my 40-10 meter inverted vee fed by 450-ohm ladder

Like many regions of the northern hemisphere summer has come to Hawaii Island.  Although this tropic paradise is known for its gentle climate, there are occasions where severe thunderstorms and lightning plague Hawaiian hams just like our fellow amateur radio operators on the U.S. Mainland.  Every now and then, a small sea-spawned tornado (waterspout) comes ashore in Kailua-Kona and does some minor damage to beach areas.  Most of these unwanted guests arrive on the strong winds of a frontal passage which begins north of Kauai and runs down the island chain to Hawaii Island.  While most of these severe storms occur during the winter months, it's not unusual for a bad thunderstorm to strike in mid-summer and cause damage to utility poles, transformers, and other electrical equipment. Now that I'm mostly retired, I tend to stay at home and can keep watch on the weather. With adequate warning, I can safely disconnect  my antennas and get my rigs out of danger before any storm st

I've been a "radio junkie" since age 8 when my father and I built a crystal set in the garage.  I was amazed what a Quaker Oats cardboard cylinder, some enameled wire, a crude slider, a piece of pyrite, a "cat's whisker", and a pair of high impedance headphones could do.  With about a hundred feet (30.48 meters) of #14 AWG house wire and a good ground, I was able to capture many AM broadcast stations, many all at once.  The pyrite crystal wasn't too selective, but I did have fun. From there I graduated to better receivers and some homebuilt Heathkit audio equipment.  Although my father was a "stereophile" and appreciated good jazz and classical music, he never did become an amateur radio operator.  I kept putting off getting my amateur radio license until I left the Air Force and became part of a commercial broadcast station.  One of the engineers at KHLO-AM (Hilo, Hawaii) finally persuaded me to take the novice examination.  Once I got the

Most of us who use the general formula for a half-wavelength flat top dipole (468/f (Mhz)=L (ft), rarely give much thought on how accurate the dipole length really is.  We cut the dipole to its calculated length, cut the wire in half, attach center connector and insulators, attach a length of 50 or 75 - ohm coaxial cable, suspend the wire between two tall supports, and prepare for a day of radio fun.  In most cases, your dipole will work well, although a little trimming or pruning may be necessary to bring the wire antenna into resonance. I'll admit to being lazy in this department.  As long as the SWR falls below 1.5 to 1, I don't bother trimming.  Even if the SWR hovers around 1.7 to 2.0 to 1, I always can use my trusty Drake MN-4 to bring the SWR below 1.5 to 1. Suppose you wanted to make your antenna (in this case for 40 meters), as resonant as possible and do without a tuner altogether?  Instead of cutting and trimming, wouldn't it be nice just to cut the dipole l

An article by retired ARRLTechnical Editor Joel Hallas (W1ZR) in the July 2013 issue of "QST" offered me another idea of operating in "stealth mode."  Hallas outlines a simple way to use your mobile antenna as a base antenna in areas where restrictive CC&Rs and HOA's prevail.  With a few simple components, you can use your vehicle-mounted antenna as your main antenna when everything else fails. Thanks to the use of two Bias Ts (devices that allow dc to share a coaxial cable without interferring with the RF), " you can easily supply power from your home shack to the vehicle's antenna system."  Hallas continues by saying that "the bias T at the end of the coax removes the dc.  The dc can either be used to power an automatic antenna tuner, or provide power to run a motorized antenna."  Hallas says "the usual  'monoband' mobile whip, either those with lumped loading inductance or helically loaded types, can be used on lowe